Ex-con who killed

A rookie 23-year-old Jersey City police officer who had served less than a year on the force was shot and killed early yesterday by a felon who appears to have fashioned a suicide-by-cop ending for himself, authorities said yesterday.

Moments before he shot Officer Melvin Santiago in the head, the shooter — Lawrence Campbell, 27, of Grant Avenue in Jersey City — told a witness to “watch the news” because he was going to be “famous,” Mayor Steve Fulop said at the second of two press conferences he held yesterday morning.

“This has been beyond a difficult morning not only for the police department but for the city,” Fulop said on the steps of City Hall.

According to Fulop and law enforcement officials, Campbell entered the Walgreens at Communipaw Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard around 4 a.m. and asked a security guard where he could find greeting cards.

Campbell walked toward the cards and then left the store, but circled back. He returned armed with a knife and repeatedly punched the security guard and took his handgun, Fulop said, adding Campbell never attempted to rob the store.

Surveillance cameras show Campbell walking outside the store and speaking to a witness. Campbell, officials said, apologized to the witness for his earlier behavior and told the witness to watch the news later.

Responding to a report of an armed robbery, Santiago and his partner, Ismael Martinez, arrived at the scene in a marked police vehicle at 4:09 a.m., Fulop said.

Campbell approached the police car and the second Santiago, who was in the passenger seat, cracked open his door, Campbell fired at close range, striking Santiago in the head, Fulop said.

Campbell fired three more rounds at a second police car, “striking its windshield in an attempt to kill two more officers,” the mayor said, adding those officers were not injured.

Officers in both cars opened fire on Campbell, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Fulop said. Santiago was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Santiago’s body was identified at the Jersey City Medical Center by his grieving mother who kept repeating, “That’s not possible,” Fulop said. She was accompanied by Santiago’s stepfather and his 13-year-old brother.

The mayor said that during the investigation Campbell was identified as one of three suspects wanted in connection to a prior murder, although he did not provide details about that crime. Police also identified Daniel Wilson as another person of interest in the prior murder.

“The Jersey City Police Department has been applying high pressure and aggressively searching for Daniel Wilson for the past three days,” Fulop said.

Campbell has three prior drug convictions and was last released from prison in January, according to corrections records.

He was in prison Feb. 18, 2011, to June 25, 2013, and from Aug. 17, 2013, to Jan. 21, 2014.

Fulop described Santiago as an “enthusiastic and motivated” officer whose commander joked recently that he should smile more.

Santiago was hired last July and he graduated from the police academy in December.
The security guard was taken to the Medical Center for treatment and he received stitches. His niece told The Jersey Journal that he was severely beaten by Campbell.
Santiago graduated from CREATE Charter High School and studied criminal justice at Hudson County Community College.